Combination chair and table



April 11, 1950 D. 1.. cAsToN COMBINATION CHAIR AND TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 18, 1948 DONALD L. GASTON v Zhwemor hif/ g attornegs April 11, 1950 D. L. CASTON COMBINATION CHAIR AND TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 18, 1948 DONALD L. GASTON 3nventor attorney Patented Apr. 11, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Claims.

Among the important objects of this invention are the provision in a chair, preferably of the lounge type, of a desk-like working surface: that may be normally disposed in an out-of-the-way manner yet readily positioned substantially horizontal over the chair seat for use; that is rigid and yet not bulky; that may function as either a front table or end tables; that require only a minimum of parts and little or no skill to dispose for use or return to the out-of-the-way position; that may be concealed simply within the framework of the chair without detracting from its normal appearance as a lounge chair; that may be incorporated in conventional chair constructions without materially afiecting the normal designs thereof; and that may in pairs be used together to extend completely from arm to arm over the chair seat and, on occasion, secured together for mutual bracing to add to the rigidity.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following description when read in view of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chair embodying my invention with the latter shown in the concealed position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a chair with the table surface partially moved to the utility positions thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing the table surfaces of the opposed arms in end abutment to provide a table surface across both arms;

Figure 4 is a perspective view with portions broken away and omitted for clarity of an arm of the chair of the preceding figures;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view of an upper hinged connection between a panel and a shelf member of my table construction; and

Figure 6 is an end view of the table elements of opposed arms in face elevation with an inset enlarged detail of interengaging means and locking means between end abutting table elements of my invention.

Referring particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, I show a lounge-type chair having a base In that supports a seat I! on opposite sides of which are arms l4 and I6 and behind which is the back l8. The base In may in the usual manner contain supporting webbing and springs and the seat I2 is preferably cushioned as is customary with upholstered furniture. The same is true of the back I8. The arms are shaped by forming a framework that may or may not be padded and otherwise covered for decorative purposes, but should be strong enough to support the table elements of my invention.

In the outer wall of the framework forming each of the arms, I provide a cavity 20 which is preferably rectangular and is so located as to reside somewhat back from the front edge of the arm. I believe that a suitable arrangement is to locate the frontedge of the cavity back from the arm front a distance that is approximately onehalf the width of the cavity. Along the forward edge of the cavity I mount an upright hinge 22 which may be of the piano-hinge type and which carries the panel 24 shaped to fit into the cavity and when there disposed to lie flush with the outer surrounding face of the arm. The use of the piano hinge insures that the panel is rigidly supported along its edge to preclude racking and so that it may be swung from the closed position through an arc of approximately 180 to lie in forward extension of the arm. That portion of the panel that lies alongside of that portion of the arm in advance of the cavity 20 is substantially braced by the arm through such contact as is had.

On the inner face of panel 24 at its upper edge I provide a T-shaped hinge element 26, the leg 21 of which, and one arm 28 of which is secured by screws to the panel upper edge.- The other arm 29 of the hinge element at its end provides the journals for a hinge pin 30. Since the upper edge of the panel is substantially horizontal, the axis of the hinge pin is also substantially horizontal. Braces 32 at the ends of the hinge element securely position the hinge pin in the described cantilevered position.

A shelf member 4!! of approximately the same size and shape as panel 24 lies in the closed position alongside the inner face of the panel and under hinge element 26. A rail 42 attached to the edge of shelf member 46 supports the hinge element 44 which pivots on hinge pin 30 and fills up the space under element 26 not occupied by the shelf edge. The shelf member may be swung from the down position of Figures 4 and 5 to the utility position by moving it through an arc of substantially 270 whereby the rail 42 overlies the portions of hinge element 26 designated as arms 28 and '29 to provide a secure and substantial bearing for the shelf member 40. Weight applied to the shelf member is easily resisted and racking avoided in this Way.

The opposing edges of abutting shelf members are formed with a tongue 50 and a groove 52 which interengage to insure a smooth aligned table surface as in Figures 3 and 6. A luggage clamp 54 may be used to draw the two shelf members together and secure them against accidental disarrangement.

A panel as 24 may be swung only as in the 3 left side of Figure 2 and with the shelf member arranged to overlie the upper edge of the panel a suitable end-table is formed. One or both may be used and either in front of the seat or alongside the arm.

Cavity 20 need only be large enough to contain the panel and the shelf member or may be large enough to provide storage space for papers and books and the like as is suggested in Figure 4 where is shown a removable carrier box 55 and a fixed interior shelf 56. Similarly drawers or cabinets as at 51 may be formed in the front of the arms depending upon their constructional characteristics and the space available.

It should be apparent that where concealment is not desired or necessary the cavity 20 can be omitted, in which case the panel 24 and the shelf member in the down position will lie back alongside the arm in close juxtaposition thereto. In that case the hinge 22 will have to be of the conventional type that will permit a 180 swing with the panel lying flat to the arm at both ends of its swing. The upper and inner faces of the arms I 4 and is may be padded and covered according to the requirements of decoration without interfering with the function of the table elements.

It is believed that it will be clearly apparent from the above description and the disclosure in the drawings that the invention comprehends a novel construction of a combination chair and tables.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A chair having arms, a panel mounted alongside an arm to swing about a vertical axis through an arc of substantially 180, said axis being positioned adjacent the forward portion of said arm, and being so located that the panel will lie in juxtaposition to the arm at each end of its path, and a shelf member hingedly mounted inwardly to the upper edge of said panel to swing about a substantially horizontal axis from normally upright juxtaposition relative the inner face of said panel through an arc of approximately 270" to be disposed across the upper edge of said panel.

2. A chair having formed in an arm thereof a side-opening cavity, a panel to close said cavity and mounted to swing about a vertical axis at the forward edge of said cavity through an arc of substantially 180, and a shelf member hingedly mounted inwardly to the upper edge of said panel to swing about a substantially horizontal axis from normally upright juxtaposition relative the inner face of the said panel through an arc of approximately 270 to be disposed across the upper edge of said first panel, said shelf memher being disposed in said cavity when said panel is closing the same.

3.'A chair having formed in each arm thereof an: outwardly open cavity, a panel to close each said cavity, each panel being mounted to swing about a vertical axis at the forward edge of the cavity with which it is associated through an arc of substantially 180, each said panel having swingingly mounted thereon a shelf member by means of a substantially horizontal hinge member, the axis of said hinge member being so positioned adjacent the upper inner edge of said panel that the shelf member may be swung through an arc of substantially 270 from normally upright juxtaposition relative the inner face of said panel to a position across the upper edge thereof, interengaging means between the opposed edges of said shelf members operable when said shelf members are brought into alignment in overlying position to said panels, and means for securing said shelf members in said aligned position over the seat of the chair.

4. In a chair of the type having: a seat, back, and arms of substantial thickness that extend to approximately the forward edge of the seat, each arm having an outwardly open cavity in the side thereof, each cavity being spaced back from the front of the arm and having at its forward end a hinge positioned with an upright axis, a panel mounted to each said arm by said hinge means and shaped to close said cavity and to lie flush with the outer face of the arm when closing the cavity, each said panel being capable of being swung through an arc of substantially 180 to lie in forward extension of the arm, a hinge means mounted on the upper inner face of each said panel and arranged so that the hinge axis is substantially horizontal and offset from the inner face of the panel, and a shelf member secured to each said offset hinge to normally lie in juxtaposition to the inner face of the panel under said offset hinge and to swing through an arc of approximately 270 to be disposed across the upper edge of said panel with a portion thereof in face-to-face contact with the upper edge of the panel.

5. In a chair of the type having: a seat, back, and arms of substantial thickness that extend to approximately the forward edge of the seat, means forming an outwardly open cavity in the side of each arm, said cavities each being spaced back from the front of the arm and having at its forward end a hinge positioned with an upright axis, a panel mounted to each said arm by said hinge means and shaped to close said cavity and to lie flush with the outer face of the arm when closing the cavity, each said panel being capable of being swung through an arc of substantially 180 to lie in forward extension of the arm, a hinge means mounted on the upper inner face of each said panel and arranged so that the hinge axis is substantially horizontal and offset from the inner face of the panel, interengaging means formed in the edges of said shelf members that may be brought into abutment, and means for securing said shelf members in said abutting relation with their interengaging edges closely together.

' DONALD L. GASTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

